Burrowing owls come out to preen at Berkeley Marina

The Berkeley Marina’s much loved burrowing owls were out and about this weekend. Berkeleysider Greg Merritt caught this shot of one of them on Saturday afternoon. He said it was taken at the special fenced-off area near the Tom Bates/Gilman Sports Complex.

dozen volunteer docents from Golden Gate Audubon Society who help passersby spot and learn about the small population of Western burrowing owls who spend each winter at the marina.

As Illana DeBare reported for us this time last year, Western burrowing owls have been designated a “species of special concern” by the state of California, as their population has been declining. Local residents reported seeing as many as 15 owls at the Berkeley Marina a decade ago; last year just five were documented.

Local efforts have helped protect the owls and maintain their presence at the Marina. Spurred by Golden Gate Audubon activists, the city of Berkeley erected temporary fencing in 2009 to keep dogs and people out of the owls’ preferred roosting area along the shore. And in 2011, the city completed an art installation that serves as a kind of boundary during months when the owls are in residence.